Stronger Than That
by Tech-Man
Summary: Danny has been seriously injured in a battle with Skulker and turned up in a comma; Sam and Tucker have gone in search of the secret behind Skulker’s latest upgrade. Danny meets a new ghost, and Sam must confront her feelings about Danny. D
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any other recognized products or trademarks.**_

**STRONGER THAN THAT**

By: Tech-Man

"Your pelt shall adorn the foot of my bed, whelp." Skulker announced raising his left arm as the mechanical suit reconfigured itself into an ecto-cannon of unusual design. "This new cannon should prove wonderful against your pathetic hide," he mocked sending several shots directly at Danny Phantom.

Danny dodged as many of the small energy blasts as he could. He felt the burn as the energy missed his right ear. "You'll have to do much better than that if you actually want to provide me with a challenge."

"Ghost child, you have not seen anything," Skulker returned pressing a small red button on the cannon. Leveling the device directly at Danny's chest he allowed the energy to gather before releasing a single massive shot.

"Wow, you are completely lame," Danny laughed allowing himself to go intangible while remaining visible. Proudly he stood watching as the glowing mass of energy approached.

The force of the impact blew Danny Backwards. He could smell the acidic smell of burning hair and flesh as the mass of ectoplasm attempted to push its way through his body. He remained as intangible as possible falling through the buildings. In a last push of strength of will he managed to go invisible, using his blurry vision to guide himself to Sam's house.

Skulker switched to his infrared vision attempting to locate the disabled ghost child. "You can not escape from me. I will find you," Skulker roared to the skies above Amity Park. He looked down at his new cannon. 'Plasmius was correct this worked like a charm,' he thought before disappearing altogether.

Samantha known as Sam to those who wished to continue living had just settling down in her huge bed. Her room was huge with a bigger than King size bed sitting against the far wall. She had a set of double glass doors that led off to a balcony, one she, Danny, and Tucker enjoyed sitting on letting their feet dangle off the edge. She had started wearing a deep purple nightshirt to bed. It was easier and less embarrassing then some of the things she used to wear, and with Danny showing up for patch-up duty she needed something a little less revealing. With it she almost blended into her comforter. Sliding the facemask into place and grabbing a hold of her favorite pillow she slowly started drifting off to sleep.

The air began to cool as Danny entered Sam's room. Before he could stop himself he lost control and fell changing from superhero Danny Phantom into plain Danny Fenton. The sudden impact on the floor jarred Sam awake emitting a very un-Sam like squeal. She tore the mask off snapping the thin elastic band. The sight of her unconscious and severely battered best friend lying on the ground halted her reaction. "Danny," she screamed jumping out of bed any shyness forgotten in the moment. "Danny, are you alright?" she asked reaching down and carefully turning him over.

She pulled her hands away covered in blood. His chest had the appearance of freshly tilled soil. There were places that Danny's ribs showed through and the steady stream of dark red blood leaking out seemed to do nothing more than reinforce the concept she needed to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Moving faster than she ever thought possible she went to her phone calling 911. "This is Amity Park 911 operator, how may I assist you?" an almost monotone voice came over the speaker.

Sam's worry turned to fury in an instant at the operator for her apparent lack of concern. "I have a friend here that just survived a major ghost attack. I want paramedics over here this instant," she screamed into the phone.

Sam's urgency leaking into the operator, "Okay miss, I need your address. What is the condition of the victim?" Sam answered silently praying for him to be okay. The fire and police showed up almost immediately. "Because of the family name no doubt," she thought to herself as they placed Danny on a stretcher and began moving him out to the waiting ambulance.

It was pure luck that her parents had left that evening for an unexpected visit to Europe. They would have freaked out about Danny being in their daughter's room so late at night, but the site of him would have really made them loose their minds. Sam watched from her front porch as the ambulance raced down the street its siren screaming a piercing moan, one that echoed in her own heart.

Her grandmother had purchased a small bike several years ago and had given it to her for her eighteenth birthday. After a quick shower to get the blood off she raced to the garage and revved it up speeding down the awaking street as the first rays of sunlight begin to chase away the darkness. The hospital was new; a ghost fight had destroyed the old one pretty thoroughly. The new facility was state of the art. It housed one of the best trauma units in the country. Sam was immensely grateful for that right this moment.

The street and other cars melting into nothing as her need to be by Danny increased. Turning the final corner she shot up the ramp that led to the hospital's parking garage. Throwing down the bike Sam raced through the halls heading for the emergency room.

She reached the emergency room, looking frantically around for any sign of Danny. She caught a glimpse of black hair being moved on to an elevator. "Excuse me," Sam asked snagging a passing nurse, "Where could I find Daniel Fenton?"

The nurse took in the panicked girl and answered simple, "They are moving him to the ICU, and you won't be able to visit him for a couple of hours. They have to perform emergency surgery on Mr. Fenton. If you want to wait here I will be glad to come and get you when you can see him. Reluctantly Sam settled into a chair in the far corner of the sterile waiting room. The place was full of different people with different problems. She reached into her pocket glad that she had remembered to grab her cell phone and called Tucker.

One short conversation and twenty minutes later Tucker strode through the doors of the emergency room. "Is he alright," Tucker asked taking a seat next to Sam, his trademark beret sitting sideways on his head.

"They haven't told me anything yet. I know that he has been in the operating room for the last hour and they show no signs of coming out." Sam brushed her hand through her hair a nervous habit she had decided to adopt within the last half hour. Tucker settled back into the chair pulling out his PDA and involving him self in some game he had just recently acquired.

"Tick, tock, tick, tock," the clock seemed to exist strictly for the purpose of tormenting Sam. "Tucker, I am going for a walk. You will call me as soon as you know something," she said heading for the exit.

'Sam, he will be alright,' she thought to herself taking advantage of the new jogging track recently installed at the hospital. 'He will be okay and you can finally tell him how you really feel. He will be okay. He will be okay. He will be okay,' she kept repeating making continuous ovals. Finally she stopped slamming her fists down at her side. "This is not like you Samantha Manson. You will compose yourself and go back and wait for the nurse to advise you of Danny's condition," she said aloud to herself startling the couple sitting on the side of the track.

With timing that never seems possible until it happens. Sam walked through the emergency room doors and was met by the same nurse who had promised to alert her to any changes.

**A/N:** I hope that there is not too many grammatical, syntax, or spelling errors in this document. I have reviewed it several times, but please do not be shy about pointing them out. I plan on this being somewhere between ten and twelve chapters. I hope that you will all stick along with me for the ride.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any other recognized products or trademarks._**

**STRONGER THAN THAT**

By: Tech-Man

The nurse approached her purple scrubs with tiny little stars in stark contract to the white walled room and bright lighting. "Are you that young lady that was inquiring about Mr. Fenton," she asked coming to a stop in front of Sam.

"Yes! Can I see him? Is he out of surgery yet? What's his condition?" she rapid fired the questions to the nurse.

The nurse gave a motherly smile before answering, "Yes, you can see him. They have moved him to the eighth floor ICU room 10718. He is still in critical condition, but they are hopeful he will make a full recovery. If you will follow me I'll take you there." The nurse turned and began heading towards the bank of elevators down the hall. Tucker caught up to Sam and the nurse just before they entered the elevator.

"I thought you were going to sit down here and play with your little toy all day," Sam said smiling at the look on Tucker's face.

"It's not a toy; it's a valuable piece of technology!"

The elevator chimed on the eighth floor; the doors opening too slowly in Sam and Tucker's opinion. A nurse's station and set of old gray couches were the only decorations in the small waiting area. "Now you will both have to wash your hands and put on gowns before you are allowed into the room," the nurse sitting at the desk announced getting everyone's attention.

She led them into a small locker room area with a large sink and several pairs of sea green gowns hanging in the corner. A large sign above the sink instructed that everyone must wash his or her hands with the soap and water for a minimum of thirty seconds. Both washed and dressed silently before heading down the hallway and into the room.

"Wow, he looks like he really got hurt," Tucker commented taking up the seat next to the bed. "Who was he fighting?"

"I don't know. I was asleep when he came into the room, and before I could ask he just passed out. When I saw all the blood I panicked and called for an ambulance," Sam answered taking the chair on the opposite side of the bed.

Tucker looked up into Sam's face, "You know Jazz and his parents are going to freak out once they hear about this, Danny said something about a magazine article."

"Remember that Genius magazine that Jazz tried to get her mother on back when we were in high school? Well, they finally decided that with all of the ghosts in Amity Park ghost fighting wasn't such a strange past time. They finally decided to have the interview and Jazz is with them making sure that they don't come any closer to Danny Phantom than absolutely necessary."

"Well, I guess Danny is going to be missing some of his classes. I better get in contact with all of his professors. At least his grades in college are better than they were back in high school," Tucker stood laying a hand on Sam's shoulder before pulling his trusty PDA from his pocket and leaving her alone with Danny.

'Talk about a reality check, what did they do to you, Danny?' She reached over and brushed his bangs out of his closed eyes. The nurse had commented he would be out for several hours. "Danny, you will be okay, and once you are whoever did this is going to have to answer for it!"

**### Later that week ###**

The days seemed to go by extremely slowly and exceptionally fast. The rest of the Fenton's came back the day after the 'accident' as it was being called. Everyone took turns at the hospital, working to ensure someone was always with Danny just in case he woke up. The doctor, a Dr. Mills, had announced that Danny had slipped into a deep comma. His brain was functional, and the damage to his chest should not have had any impact on his mind, but he just seemed to not want to wake up.

Jazz, Sam, and Tucker were very busy when they were not at the hospital. Due to the disappearance of Danny Phantom there had been a huge upsurge in the amount of ghosts in Amity Park. Maddie had begun work on a whole new line of ghost fighting equipment so the job was beginning to become fairly easy. With the years of practice they already had under their belts most of the low to middle class ghosts were nothing to even get worked up over.

"You know Sam," Tucker began while lounging in Sam's living room. "When you purchased this house and had it completely remodeled I half expected you and Danny to just start living together." Picking up a small medicine ball from the floor, Sam hurled it towards Tuckers head. "Hey now, come on," he yelled ducking out of the way of the hurling ball. "I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him, now if the two of you would just stop living in denial all the time you might actually make some progress."

"Tucker, I have already confessed under duress about my feelings for Danny, but I refuse to risk my friendship with him, and nothing you could do or say will ever change that."

"Oh, come on, I'll bet you already stole a kiss from him while he la…"

"There is a ghost nearby," Jack Fenton's voice interrupted from the Fenton Ghost Sensor. A miniature replica of Jack's head descending from the bottom of the device.

"You should really get Danny to change that when he gets better," Tucker commended sliding on his own Fenton Peeler. Activating the device with the thumb control his body was soon covered in an exoskeleton. "The new power regulator that Danny's mom installed sure works like a charm."

Taking off into the street the street both were momentarily knocked senseless by the multitude of floating square containers and bubble wrap. "Beware, I am the Box Ghost. I control all things square and boxy. Fear me." Sam and Tucker just exchanged looks before Sam motioned for Tucker to proceed with his entertainment.

"Jack, do you think you could do me a favor and go down and grab us both something to drink?" Vlad asked while standing next to Danny's bed.

"Sure thing Vladdie," Jack said slapping Vlad on the shoulder, "sure is good of you to come and see Danny while he is in the hospital."

"Oh, I must check on my favorite nephew," Vlad answered as he watched Jack leave the room.

"Oh my boy, what have you gotten your self into this time," he said settling himself down in the chair that Jack had just occupied. "I would have thought you would know better than to try and phase through an energy blast. Oh well, I can only hope you learn your lesson this time." With that comment Vlad stood and was replaced by Plasmius. "I'll see you once you're awake boy..."

"Mr. Fenton?" a small voice asked. "Its time for us to change your sons bandages and IV fluid," a short nurse with teal green scrubs entered Danny's ICU room. Looking at Danny, "Huh, now who moved you over the covers?" she asked moving to change Danny's wrappings and replace the empty bags.

"Vladdie, I've got," Jack screamed nearly scaring the poor nurse to death, "Huh, I guess he had to leave. Oh well, guess that means more for me."

"Man, I can't believe he still shows up. Why does he keep coming through the portal?" Tucker asked Sam as they made their way back into her house.

"I don't know, but he is sure great for taking out your stress on," Sam joked slouching back into her favorite chair. Kicking off her boots she relaxed into the comfortable material. Tucker sat down on the couch pulling out his PDA.

"Well, it's time for me to head over to Danny's. I swear if he is just faking this I will put him in the Fenton Thermos myself," Tucker commented replacing his precious PDA inside his pocket. "Take care Sam and remember what I said, and you have not heard the last of this," and with that Tucker walked out the door closing it firmly behind him.

**A/N:** I apologize for the jumpiness of this chapter, but I needed to get some key info in. Good or bad, please review.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any other registered or trademarked items.**_

STRONGER THAN THAT

By: Tech-Man

"Do you think we just need to finally tell his parents about the accident back in high school?" Tucker asked while he absent-mindedly flipped through the channels on Sam's TV. "I must admit that I really do love the fact we can just hang out over here. My apartment just plain sucks compared to this," waving his arm about to illustrate the point further.

"Tucker, I think that if Danny wants to tell them then we should allow Danny to tell them himself. I would hate for them to jump to some panicked conclusion and then when Danny wakes up he has to try and justify himself to his parents. I just don't want to cause him any more problems than he already has. Now have you been able to piece together what happened to him yet?" Sam asked sitting her drink down on the table and leaning forward wrapping her arms over her legs.

Tucker mimicked her by leaning forward and placing his elbows on top of his knees. "I have gone through all the video footage from the traffic cameras and other random security cameras, and I have discovered that it was Skulker that Danny was fighting with. I don't know what to say Sam, but it appeared that Danny was hit with on of the random weapons Skulker has.

Sam leaned back into her chair picking up her drink and taking a sip. Without warning Sam stood, a look of determination coming over her features. "Tucker, I think it's time to pay Skulker a visit and find out what his new upgrades are."

"I guess it's time to go over to the Fenton Ghost Portal," Tucker said standing up placing on his drink in the kitchen counter. "I'll grab our gear and you check with Jazz to make sure they aren't down in the lab."

Sam picked up her cell phone as Tucker headed down the hall towards the closet with the ghost fighting equipment stored in it. Pressing speed dial #8 and short pause later Jazz answered the phone. "Hey Sam, what's up?"

"Jazz, Tucker and I have decided to head into the ghost zone. He found out that it was Skulker who was battling with Danny the night he was injured. "We are going to try and figure out what that new upgrade was all about and see if there is any lasting damage to be expected other than the obvious physical damage." Sam listened to the pause as Jazz processed the information on who had hurt her little brother.

"Well, I can invite mom and dad over for dinner and that will give you and Tucker the chance to sneak into the lab and get into the ghost zone. Oh, I almost forgot! They are planning on moving Danny from the ICU into the comma ward. Dr. Mills told mom that since his chest wound is healed and now the only persistent condition is the comma, they are going to move him and free up the space. I'll call them as soon as we hang up and let you know if you're a go."

"Thanks Jazz, I really appreciate it. Hopefully we can figure out what is causing the problem and get it fixed before some of the really terrifying ghosts figure out the Danny Phantom is on vacation." Sam snapped her phone shut and followed after Tucker towards the closet.

She found him knee deep in various Fenton devices quietly cursing to him as he separated the junk from the important equipment. "Jazz is going to invite them over for dinner so we should have an open window after seven o'clock. Danny is going to be moved over to the comma ward."

"Well, look at the upside. This means that we won't have to scrub the skin off our arms and hands anymore when we go to see him," Tucker smiled moving towards the door arms loaded down with the necessary equipment.

Sam's cell phone interrupted her conversation with Tuck. "Hello," she answered.

"Okay Sam, they are coming over at seven thirty. I'll try and keep them occupied until around ten, but you two need to hurry," Jazz told her.

"Tucker we have from seven thirty until ten to figure out what this new toy of Sulkers' is," she said turning back to face Tucker. "I'll be right back." Sam turned down the hall before heading up the stairs and into her room.

It was smaller than her old one, but still bigger than most peoples. She had decorated it similar to the way her old room had been decorated. Her walls were purple with a black border. The bed was her old one with deep purple sheets. Her carpets were a deep rich purple. Danny's blood no longer evident after the cleaning crew had came through.

Walking over to the closet Sam opened the doors and pushed aside the clothes to reveal a small wall safe. Keying the combination she opened the door to reveal a small velvet box. Reaching in she carefully opened the small box. Inside was a pair of earrings with half-karat amethysts centered in white gold. Closing the box she slipped it back into the safe. Danny had given her those earrings for their high school graduation. He had handed them to her with a small card that simply read: For the greatest person in the world. She had attempted to thank him for the gift several times, but he would always shrug it off and say it was nothing before finding some reason to disappear. Shaking her head to clear the memories, she closed the safe back and quickly changed into a pair of blank jeans with a long sleeve dark blue shirt.

Once downstairs Sam helped Tucker load their personal gear into the car and headed towards the Fenton's house. Turning down the street they were almost broad sided by the Fenton RV, driven by none other than Jack Fenton. "I swear somebody should revoke his license. He nearly hits every car in the road when he drives," Tucker complained from the passengers' seat.

"Well at least they're gone and we can get to the ghost portal," Sam stated pulling her car into the Fenton's drive way. Turning off the ignition, both jumped out grabbing their gear and heading towards the front door. Tucker pulled his spare key from his pants pocket and opened the door. Locking the door behind them, Sam and Tucker headed downstairs.

As usual the lab was brightly lit with small piles of ectoplasm on various counters. The ghost portal hummed quietly to itself behind the large metal door. In the far corner where Jack had taken to stacking his various inventions was a small pedestal with a tiny looking blaster. The whole thing looked like it could fit inside the palm of Sam's hand. It had a matte black handle with four silver rings imbedded in it. The entire weapon was smooth with nothing but the four rings in the handle to distinguish it. "I wonder who built that?" Sam asked stepping closer to get a better look.

"I can tell you who didn't make it," Tucker answered from the door of the Ghost Patroller. "Hurry up Sam, we have to get a move on before they get back and we have no idea how long this is going to take."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Sam said pulling her attention away from the oddly shaped weapon. She closed the door and engaged the main drive. Pressing the Fenton Opener the heavy metal door blocking the ghost zone slid open to reveal a swirling vortex of green energy. Taking the flight controls Sam eased forward on the throttle. The ship began to move under the power of the thrusters. Their adrenalin spiking as they moved into the Ghost Zone.

###

The room was poorly lit, the illumination seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere. The walls were bare only the gray of the wall itself reflecting in the otherworldly light. A lone pedestal stood in the center of the room, a tiny swirling mass of dark blue energy in the very center.

Danny awoke the the room slowly spinning. Carefully blinking his eyes the room finally came to a stop. Danny surveyed his body; he was still in Phantom form a large singe mark in the dead center of his chest. Danny found he could stand with great difficulty. It was not the injury, but more like when you haven't moved in a while and nothing wants to work right.

'What is that,' he asked himself. Straightening up the last little bit, Danny walked towards the pedestal. The mass of energy growing brighter with every step he took closer.

"I wouldn't ouch that if I were you." The voice caught Danny off guard. Spinning around into a defensive stance he allowed the familiar green energy to envelope his right hand. "I mean you no harm young halfa," the voice coming from an older man with a black and red cloak.

"Who are you and why have you brought me here?" Danny asked never releasing the energy from his hand.

"I did not bring you here young halfa; you brought yourself here, and you may call me Guide."

**A/N:** I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. As always I apologize for any spelling, grammatical, or syntax errors on my part. Please review and I hope you stick along for the ride.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any other Trademarked or Registered items.**

**STRONGER THAN THAT**

By: Tech-Man

"Okay Guide, where are we?" Danny asked finally relaxing from his defensive stance. "I'll assume that you know where we are and what we are supposed to be doing?"

"The answer to your question young one is both yes and no. I am a guide, but I am not here to guide you in any specific direction. I am simply to offer you advice. You must make the decision on which path you will take. Now as for where we are," the old man said summoning a chair seemingly out of nowhere. "We are currently in the ghost zone and in the human world."

A confused look came over Danny's face as he tried to make sense of the statement. "What do you mean we are both in the ghost zone and the human world?"

With a snap of his figures a chair appeared across from him. "Please sit young one," motioning towards the chair with his right hand. "You are a being torn between worlds. You are both alive and dead; both human and ghost. The wound you sustained while battling the ghost hunter was merely a catalyst."

Danny leaned forward intrigued by the conversation, "A catalyst for what exactly? And please stop referring to me as 'young one', just call me Danny."

"As you wish Daniel, I'm afraid that is something that you must answer for yourself. You started this journey, and therefore you must be the one to complete it. I am merely here to provide you with some basic guidance. A struggle over who you think you are and who you truly believe you are has begun."

Danny stood from his chair and began pacing around the small room. "How could I have started this when I don't even know why I'm on it?" Danny asked stopping his extraneous movement.

"You began this journey," Guide said standing to join the young hero, "weather on a conscience level or a sub-conscience level this is your doing. You must see it through to the end or be trapped inside this pseudo space for the rest of eternity."

"Okay, so I really need to get through this, whatever it is. So what does that ball of energy mean?" Danny asked indicating the still swirling sphere of dark blue energy.

"This room and all the decorations within are of your making. I know as much of the true meaning as you seem to," Guide said.

"So is this world real or of my own making?" Danny asked a familiar look of confusion and distrust covering his face.

Guide stood from his chair his cloak rippling out to stand at some kind of weird attention. A tiny movement of his fingers and the chair dissolved back into nothingness. "Both young Daniel, your sub-conscience brought you here and it retains the power to change the environment. This place cannot be reached from the outside world. However," a short flick of his wrist sent a thin blue ribbon of power flying towards Danny, "you can still be injured, and things that happen here will have lasting consequences once you leave."

A gash appeared on Danny's left arm; green ectoplasm leaking from the wound. "What the hell?" Danny yelled flying backwards into the air.

Guide raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "That was merely to demonstrate that what happens in this world could have lasting effects."

"You could have just told me," Danny said returning to the ground.

"No, I could not. You would have simply not believed me until something happened," Guide, said lowering his hands and folding them into the opposite sleeves of his cloak. "Look around Daniel at the change your need has caused. When I injured you, your sub-conscience new there was not enough space to fight in so it changed the environment from a small ordinary room in to a large open space."

Caught off guard by the statement Danny took a moment to survey his surroundings. The pale gray room with its eerie light; had been replaced by a huge stadium with an open roof and a large area to move around in. The sides of the bleachers were so far away that he could barely make them out. Without a second thought Danny shot straight into the air putting as much power as he could muster into his flight.

The familiar ecstasy of flying filled Danny as he soared around the open space. Using the quick speed and control her had master throughout high school, Danny gave a quick survey of the entire area. He came in for a landing in front of Guide planning to revert to his human form. Touching down he opened up that part of him that allowed the transformation. Expectantly, Danny looked down at the legs of his pants the familiar black of the Phantom jumpsuit staring back at him. A panicked look began to cross Danny's face as he looked over to Guide. "Why can't I return to human form?"

###

"You have successfully entered the Ghost Zone," Jack Fenton's voice boomed from the speakers above their heads. Sam and Tucker watched as the sleek metallic sides of the portal were replaced by the eerie green void known as the ghost zone.

Looking over at Sam Tucker laughed to himself. "You know, I can not believe that he still records his own voice in every machine that they create. You would think either Danny's mom or Danny himself would have put a stop to it by now." Reaching down with his left hand Tucker keyed the recline feature on the passenger seat. "Okay Sam, pilot away," Tucker said folding his hands behind his head.

"SMACK," the sound of a random tool hitting its mark on Tucker's forehead. "Hey, what was that for?" Tucker asked rubbing the now forming red bump where the wrench had made contact.

"That was for thinking you could just sit over there and relax while I fly this crazy contraption," Sam said. She began entering a series of commands into the ship. A small holographic chart springing up in the center console, where it relayed points of interest within the ghost zone. The three of them had spent the better part of high school trying in vain to map the regions of the ghost zone. It was only in their senior year that they discovered why they were having such difficulty.

The ghost zone was in and of itself a separate dimension from the human world. A revelation in its simplicity; they had always understood that it was separate from the human or real world. However, they had never bothered to take that to its logical conclusion.

A map of the ghost zone cannot be drawn in two dimensions, because it has more in common with the solar system and they way its laid out than with the City of Amity Park. Once Sam had made that mental jump everything became much easier. The 3D image of the ghost zone floated above the control panel slowly revolving around the image center. Tucker had once asked if it was gravity that bound the ghost zone together as it did in the universe at large.

They had spent an entire month searching for the mysterious center that held the ghost zone in its place. What they actually discovered was a large collection of spectral energy. The massive sphere, for lack of a better word, pulsed with the collective energy of billions of ghosts. Danny had attempted to enter it several times and was always pushed back, sometimes forcibly, by the massive amount of energy.

To the groups knowledge not even Vlad had discovered this particular aspect of the ghost zone. It seemed that the further into the ghost zone one went the further back in time so to speak one went. The older more powerful ghosts all resided closer to the sphere of energy. Most of Danny's foes all exist along the outer rings of the ghost zone.

Tucker straightened his chair and leaned forward to more closely examine the projected map. It appears that at this current moment the Fenton portal and Skulker's fortress are at their greatest distance apart from each other. A quick succession of commands later and a clock appeared overlaying a blue line the showed a serpentine path through the ghost zone staying a safe distance from the nebulous center and all other know enemies. "Okay course plotted estimated time to arrival three hours eleven minutes," Tucker read off. "Now, all you have to do is key-in the auto-pilot and we are on our way."

Sam shot him a glare before turning her attention back to the control panel. Keying the startup for the autopilot the main drive roared to life propelling them towards their eventual destination.

"Tucker, what do you expect we will find when we finally get to Skulker's?" Sam asked swiveling her chair around to face him.

Tucker mimicked her movement and folded his arms across his chest, a look of concentration covering his features while he thought through his answer. "I would say that we are going to have to sneak in under his radar, but as for what this new toy of his is I can't even begin to speculate. What I do know is that we are going to need all my tech skills to be able to bypass all of Skulker's security measures."

Sam unbuckled her seat belt and stood stretching her arms far above her head. Slumping back down she yawned. "I am going to take a short nap before we get close," Sam said closing her eyes. The steady humming from the drive along with the rhythmic typing from Tucker on his PDA had Sam quickly surrendering to the land of dreams.

###

Jazz's house was sparsely decorated. It had the look and feel of an office building more than of a home. Her living room contained a big screen TV and two three person couches angled so that everyone had a great view of the television. The living room opened up into a small dining room area with a wooden table and four chairs. The hall extended from the dining room opposite the kitchen entrance. The house had three bedrooms with one bath. The biggest point in this houses' favor was the basement that Jazz had converted into a ghost fighting/equipment room.

"So Jazz, where's that fudge you promised me," Jack Fenton exclaimed stepping through the entrance of his oldest child's home. Maddie followed him; both were wearing their trademark jumpsuits.

"It was nice of you to invite us over for dinner honey," Maddie began, "but shouldn't someone be with Danny?"

"Don't worry mom, Sam and Tucker are on their way over right now. Who could be better than those two?" Jazz answered.

'I just hope the generator I left under the bed doesn't need to be used.' She thought to herself keeping the smile plastered on her face.

After getting everyone situated Jazz began bringing out the meal. Everyone ate vigorously and when the deserts came Jack over loaded on fudge. "Well darling thanks for the meal, but your father and I should really be heading home."

Jazz shot a quick glance at the clock on the wall: 8:45. Thinking fast Jazz announced, "Hey, I had a hidden agenda when I invited you guys here. I wanted to get you opinion on my new thesis." Jazz scrambled to pull her thoughts together, something that would be sure and keep both of her parents' attention. "I've decided to change it to…ghost…hunting..."

"That's great! Glad to see you're following in your old mans footsteps," Jack exclaimed standing and wrapping his daughter in a crushing hug. "I can see it now. The Fenton Ghost Patrol, now all we need is to get Danny to join and the whole family will be in on it."

Jazz gave a forced smile while wrapped in her father's arms. "Okay why don't you two have a seat on the couch, and I will go and get the material prepared." Carefully she extracted herself from her father's grip and headed towards the basement staircase.

Once downstairs Jazz pulled out her cell phone dialing Sam then Tucker. On both she only received the message that the phone was outside of provider coverage. 'Okay guys, you have got to hurry,' she thought to herself, 'I don't know how long I can keep them busy.' Steeling away her courage Jazz turned and headed back up the stairs prepared to bluff her way through a subject she wished she didn't know as well as she did.

**A/N: I hope that you all are enjoying the story so far. I am planning on making each chapter progressively longer as I get back into the habit of writing. Thanks for sticking with me and please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any other registered or trademarked items.**

**STRONGER THAN THAT**

By: Tech-Man

The navigation computer beeped awaking Sam from her short nap as they neared their destination. Sam stretched her arms far above her head raising the hem of her shirt enough to show her stomach. A small yawn escaped her mouth as she straightened up in her chair. Sam reached over and keyed the control panel silencing the alarm. Swinging her foot around Sam caught the edge of Tucker's chair scaring him.

"Hey… what's going on," Tucker yelled sitting up and adjusting the beret on his head. "Oh," he said when his attention focused on the floating island outside the main view port.

"Have you ever noticed how Skulker's island looks like that island off the manga Battle Royale?" Sam asked pulling her chair up towards the console. With expert precision she disengaged the autopilot and switched on the newly modified ghost shield. This newest upgrade was meant to keep ghosts from detecting the craft while the shield was active. It would at least keep Skulker from sensing them, but for his toys. Well, that was another problem.

"You know, you're right. That island really does remind you of the manga. I guess that covers the 'what do you think this place will look like' phase of the conversation," Tucker commented angling his chair to match Sam's. The lights inside the cabin automatically dimmed when they switched on the ghost shield. Grabbing a hold of the controls Sam eased the ship forward toward the floating island, while Tucker operated the other various controls with precision while Sam flew them in.

The ship settled to the forest floor with minimal affair. Switching the craft into stand-by mode Sam and Tucker both slipped on their Fenton Peelers. The door opened to reveal a forest caught between worlds. The trees seemed to be glowing with the same eerier light the permeated throughout the Ghost Zone, and the forest floor seemed to absorb all light that came near it. There was an almost tangible feel to the forest. As if the forest itself was staring back at you. Not just the creatures that you could hear scurrying around along the forest floor, but like the trees themselves were the ones staring at you.

"Sam, do you get a really funny feeling looking into that forest?" Tucker asked while setting up his laptop on the side of the ship plugging in the various cables to the external ports.

"Yeah, I do. I don't remember Skulker's place having this kind of an aura about it. Usually the guy is such a push over that you never really worry, but this place," Sam gestured with her arms, "feels more like someone else than it does of Skulker." Sam leaned over Tucker's shoulder watching the techno-geek move through the computers' prompts with apparent ease.

"Okay, I have setup the electronic interference net," Tucker said closing the lid of his laptop. "That should keep most of the electronic sensors from picking up on our exact location. Now they will probably pickup on the fact that we are here; they just won't be able to pin-point our exact location."

"Well," Sam said tugging on the left sleeve of her Fenton Peeler Armor, "that will just have to do. We have to figure out what in the world Skulker did to Danny." Shouldering their weapons and other gear they both turned and headed towards the forest.

The forest seemed to swallow them, and after a few feet they had lost sight of the ship. Tucker pulled out his PDA and hit a few keys. "Well," he said, "at least the tracking beacon on the ship seems to be operating properly. Let's hope that everything else continues to go smoothly."

Sam nodded her agreement and shouldered through more of the thick brush. Giving up on being subtle Sam raised her right arm and pulled the trigger. A beam of green ectoplasm shot forth creating a whole in the forest. "Well, that should make this a little bit easier," Sam, said starting to head towards the hole.

The forest around them echoed with calls from predators that hadn't walked the human world for more than a thousand years. The random shafts of light that managed to pierce through the canopy of the forest gleamed off the shiny silver skin of their out fits.

After almost an hour of walking they came across a small clearing in the forest. In the center of the clearing sat a small gray cylinder with a dome on top. It's outside coating so tarnished from exposure to the elements that it looked as if a steady breeze would be the end of it.

"Do you think it's safe to cross?" Tucker asked looking towards Sam for guidance.

"And why exactly would you think I would know that?" Sam responded shaking her head. "Let's just go and see what happens, but keep alert. We don't want to be caught off guard."

With extreme caution born of working with Danny for all of high school and the years after the two proceeded to move into the clearing. As they became fully exposed to the world they stopped to check their surroundings. Noticing nothing out of place the two began to move forward again.

A series of beeps and whistles punctuated the air from behind Sam and Tucker as they neared the opposite edge of the clearing.

Pivoting on their left feet the pair swiveled around leveling the cannons contained on their right arms towards the sound. The gray cylinder slowly started pulsating green. Each series of beeps and whistles bringing it higher and higher off the ground. When the gray cylinder reached eye level it stopped rising. Slowly it began spinning around gathering speed with each successive rotation. Sam and Tucker stared at the device the threat it posed momentarily forgotten by its odd behavior.

Without warning a green band formed on the side of the cylinder seconds before a barrage of ectoplasm shots erupted from it. The shots forced Sam and Tucker back to the present; both diving for the nearest cover they could find. The shots impacted with such force that pieces of the forest and ground were raining down on the pair.

Sam took cover behind what looked to be an ancient oak. Quickly she checked over her person for any damage. A small gouge on her right arm signified a near miss. 'What are we going to do,' Sam thought to herself. Checking the charge on the Fenton Peeler showing she had plenty of power to destroy a floating tin can.

Sam swung her arm around the tree and let loose a barrage of her own aimed haphazardly towards the center of the clearing. The sound of exploding foliage was deafening. After sending off a good twenty to thirty shots towards the tin can, as she had named the infernal thing, Sam took a moment to locate Tucker who had hunkered down in a small ditch about fifteen feet from where she was. "Hey Tucker," she called, "can you get any better angle?"

Tucker squeezed as much of himself into the ditch as he could possibly fit. Lifting his arm he fired several times in the direction of the floating cylinder. Over the dim of the battle he could barely make out the sound of Sam hollering at him. "No," he yelled back, "but I may be able to create a distraction." Steeling his courage Tucker forced himself up and bolted for the opposite side of the clearing from Sam.

Sensing movement the turret started tracking Tuckers progress with a series of ectoplasm blasts. The shots came so close that he could feel the backs of his legs being peppered with the splash from the impacts. With the fire momentarily directed away from her, Sam twisted around the tree leveling her sights on the turret. Sam unleashed the series of carefully placed shots that flipped it over on its side. Tucker taking complete advantage of the seize in fire turned abruptly and began to fire into the already downed piece of equipment. As smoke began to rise from the downed machinery Sam and Tucker took a moment to survey the rest of their surrounds looking for any possible threats they might have also missed.

"That is the last time I walk past anything on this island without shooting it first," Sam said taking a moment to check over her person for any damage.

"That is no joke," Tucker said dusting off his pants. "At least it couldn't multitask, then we might have really been in trouble then."

"Right like we almost didn't get killed here. You're just lucky that I'm a good shot otherwise you might just have had to make the Ghost Zone your permanent address," Sam joked trying to relieve some of the tension.

"Hey, if it wasn't for my distraction that tree you were hiding behind wouldn't be standing and neither would you," Tucker retorted, pointing at the tree who's truck looked to be just moments from breaking in half. "Well, we better start moving again," Tucker motioned towards the forest. Sam shrugged her shoulders and started moving forward.

After another twenty minutes of moving through the forest they reached their destination. A chain link fence stretched as far as they could see in either direction. Reaching into his pocket Tucker pulled out a small device with two leads coming off the top. Attaching each to the chain Tucker turned the device on instantly registering a sizable amount of electricity.

"Well, it's hot," Tucker commented unhooking the alligator clips from the fence. "I really don't know why a ghost would bother with an electric fence. It just seems like a mute point," Tucker added slipping the voltage meter back into his pocket.

"Well, can you get us through it?" Sam asked eying the fence speculatively.

"Oh course I can," Tucker laughed pulling out two thin poles each with wires sticking out of the ends. Carefully he leaned the thin poles against the fence only getting a small arch in return. Using rubber straps shaped to look like a fish hook he secured the thin poles to the fence with an almost two foot span between them. Using a pair of rubber lined pliers Tucker affixed each of the wires to a small black device that he removed from his pants pocket.

"What's that?" Sam asked looking at the box as Tucker carefully secured the wires.

"This is what will allow us the cut the fence wire and get to the other side." A small buzz later and Tucker reached out and felt the fence. "Ah, works every time."

"And when exactly was the last time you tried this?" Sam asked pulling a pair of wire cutters out from her bag. They both set to work on the fence and in short order had a hole large enough for both to easily pass through. Ahead lay a small alcove between two buildings. Sam and Tucker crept forward both holding their fingers on the triggers of their weapons.

"Excuse me, but what exactly do you think you are doing here?" a familiar voice came from behind. Both turned to see Plasmius flanked by Skulker and another ghost they did not recognize.

**###**

"What's wrong with me?" Danny asked a panicked note creeping into his voice.

Guide just nodded his head and small upturning of the corner of his lips the only sign he was amused. "You young Daniel are in the Ghost Zone..."

Danny interrupted, "but I have always been able to revert back to human form when in the Ghost Zone."

Guide simply raised his hand to silence Daniel before continuing on. "Your conscious mind is here in the Ghost Zone along with that part of you that makes you a ghost. Your physical body as you tend to think of it are in the human world. I will show you," he offered turning his attention towards a empty section of air that began to shimmer and transform into a swirling mass of energy a picture forming in the center.

The image cleared to show a brightly lit room with an open window that faced the parking garage. A mass of dark hair covered the pillow on the bed. A series of tubes and other wires ran from the person on the bed into various different machines that beeped and whistles to their own internal tune. As the image revolved around the bed the face of the sleeping man came into view.

"That's me," Danny shouted the image visibly shaking from his outburst.

"You are correct young Daniel. That is your human body in a sleep like state awaiting the return of your conscious mind," Guide spoke with a surety and calmness that ground on Danny's nerves.

"So how do I return?" Danny asked trying to resist his urge to just pummel this infuriating man into the ground.

"That is something that you will have to figure out on your own. For now I will bid you a farewell. I will return when you need me," and with a bow that the Queen of England would be proud of Guide vanished.

"Hey wait," Danny yelled to the vacant space that had once been occupied by Guide. 'What now?' Danny thought to himself resuming the pacing he had long ago forgotten.

Pausing in his walk Danny took a moment to look about his environment again. Once again without his noticing it had changed. He now stood on a tile floor that seemed to float about in a empty void of nothing. 'Well, I definitely am not going to get out of here by just standing around.' Spinning around in place he arbitrarily picked a direction and with as much speed as he could force took off.

Danny could feel the end of his ecto-trail stretching far behind him as he continued to force as much speed into his flight as possible. "I AM GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!" Danny yelled.

**###**

"Well Jazz, that was a most interesting theory," Maddie began after sitting and listening to Jazz's theory on why ghosts are depressed and need attention. The presentation had lasted for almost three hours and it was now well after ten. "I think your father and I are going to go home now," she continued as she stood waking Jack up in the process.

"So, do you think I am on to something?" Jazz asked putting as much of her old need for approval into her voice.

Maddie walked over and patted Jazz on the shoulder. "You were spot on..."

"Now, if you could just move to the capturing and destroying of ghosts you would fit right in with _Team Fenton_," jack interrupted moving alongside Jazz and squeezing her in a bear hug. "But this old man has to get home. I have new invention that requires my attention," leaning over he placed a kiss on her forehead.

After they had walked out the door Jazz quickly grabbed her cell phone and dialed Sam's number. After six rings Sam's voice mail kicked in. Hanging up without leaving a message she dialed Tucker's number only to be met by the same thing. 'Come on guys, where are you?"

**A/N:** I apologize for how long it took me to update. With classes starting fresh this month, I really didn't have the time to work on my story. The next chapter is going to focus mainly on Danny and his predicament. Please take the time to let me know what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any other recognized Trademarked or Registered products.**_

**Stronger Than That**

By: Tech-Man

Danny continued to push as much of his power into his speed as was possible. The scenery around him made it appear that his wasn't even moving. The only indication that he was moving was his energy trail. Similar to the trail of a jet that's flying showing the path of the plane; Danny was leaving a trail of ectoplasm as he pushed himself faster and faster. '_What am I missing_?" Danny thought as he pushed and pushed, the hazy green background never showing any sign of his passing.

A small speck appeared on the horizon. At first Danny didn't know what to think as he adjusted his course to intercept it. The small speck began to grow in size as he approached. Before long the tiny speck loomed over the horizon filling Danny's entire field of view. Danny stopped, looking over the enormous structure that stood before him. It resembled an old medieval castle with a huge iron gate stood before him; the only entrance in the massive stone wall. A series of towers and spires stretched as far into the sky as he could see.

Slowly, Danny floated towards the gate feeling the usual tingle as he willed himself to become intangible, and without a second thought he began moving towards the gate. As ghostly flesh contacted the ancient looking iron a searing pain lanced through Danny's arm bringing him to his knees; a yelp of pain escaping his mouth before he could shut it. Looking at his hand the silver glove that normally covered it was burned and pealing relieving the singed flesh underneath.

The sound of metal scraping on stone brought Danny out of his own pain. Looking up, the giant gate began slowly lifting into the wall over head as a young lady in a cerulean dress approached. Danny watched her approach; her eyes captivating him. Something familiar swirled beneath the surface of her green eyes. He would have sworn he knew her if it weren't for the fact that he could never forget a face like that. Her dark green eyes and porcelain skin seemed to almost glow with an inward power.

"The castle repels uninvited guests," she said as she came to a stop directly in front of Danny cutting his thought process short. "It has been a very long time since I have been graced with co…" She stopped short seeing Danny's hand as he cradled it to his chest. "Please come with me," she instructed turning smartly on her heel the cerulean dress billowing out behind her.

"Where is this place?" Danny asked straining to keep up with the young girls brisk pace.

She, however, never faulted in her stride keeping the pace with apparent ease. "You are in my home," she answered simply turning a corner and opening the first door on the left.

The place could have been called barren from what Danny could see as he made his way through what he now understood to be the foyer. The hall he now stood in was completely different covered in paintings and tapestries that looked to be centuries old. A small, "wow" escaped his mouth as Danny continued to hurry after the young lady.

She finally came to a stop outside a huge set of double doors. The fine oak finish looked to be well taken care of. Reaching out with both hands the young lady pushed and with little effort the two gigantic doors swung inward.

The room beyond was like nothing Danny could have ever imagined. The stone floor was covered with rugs of the most ornate design he could imagine. The walls held paintings of various scenes of nature and people. Along the far wall a massive fire place roared spreading its warmth around. Above the mantel of the fireplace a large portrait of a handsome looking older man. His hair beginning to show his age as the gray crept in. He was wearing a long flowing dark blue robe his arms held protectively around a small child. Her dark brown hair held high in a ponytail; a light smile graced her lips as she looked up at him. The rest of the room was decorated with chairs and couches of various sizes; enough to accommodate a large group

"This place is beautiful," Danny said in a low voice. His gaze continued to move about the room before once again settling on the young woman standing before him. His eyes seemingly of their own will traced the shape of her face, the smooth couture of her jaw, before arriving on those green eyes. Before Danny could become embarrassed at staring at the girl she commanded him to sit in one of the more comfortable looking chairs.

"Please, let me see your hand," she said reaching out with delicate fingers. Danny slowly moved his injured hand into her grasp; it was firmer than he would have imagined. With precisely controlled movements she began to pull back the charred pieces of the glove. The pain was suddenly gone when her hand touched his.

Holding his hand with her left she carefully brought her right and held it just above the burn. A light blue light began to emanate from her palm, and a soothing sensation covered his entire hand. As soon as she had started she released his hand. Danny looked down at the now healed skin of his hand. "Thanks," he barely said marveling at the skill it must take to heal that kind of damage.

"I trust you will not attempt to further invade my home without my permission," she said standing and moving towards a large cabinet located need to fire place.

Danny stumbled for an excuse for his actions, "I didn't know anyone was home." 'Wow, Danny, what kind of lame excuse is that,' he silently cursed himself.

Turning around she made her way back towards him a cup in each hand. "I will take it on faith that you are not opposed to a cup of hot chocolate," she said handing Danny a steaming cup.

"Thanks," Danny commented dryly. "What's your name?" he blurted out.

Stopping the cup just before it touched her lip she slowly lowered it back locking her eyes with Danny's. "My name is Angela, but that is really not important. What is important is why you have decided to intrude upon my solitude Mr. Phantom. I do not have many guests and even fewer in the last few centuries. So do tell me Mr. Phantom; how did you come to penetrate my world?" Lifting the cup once again to her lips she took a sip before leveling her eyes again at Danny.

Nervously Danny took a huge gulp of the hot chocolate and immediately wished he hadn't as the hot liquid seared his throat. "Well, I...I don't really know," Danny choked out. Danny filled her in on his battle with Skulker and his run in with Guide.

At the mention of Guide, Angela's mouth curved into a slight smile catching Danny's attention. "Ah, well that would explain quite a bit of your current predicament then wouldn't it?"

"I don't understand," Danny said taking a moment to locate the table next to the chair and sit his cup down.

Carefully Angela sat the cup down on a stand next to her chair. Leaning in as you would to explain something to a child she began, "The one you know as guide has been my counterpart within this realm for the better part of a millennia. We used to work as a team providing counsel to those who deserved the wisdom that we could impart." Leaning back she arranged herself into the chair folding her hands in her lap. "For the last several hundred years however we have not spoken. I erected the barrier that you are familiar with as a method of keeping 'Guide' out. There are only two methods of gaining access that I am aware of. Either your need is great enough that you move yourself into this dimension or Guide or myself bring you here. Tell me Mr. Phantom, why would he want you here?"

Danny stared at the young girl before him. His mind was having trouble understanding this latest revelation. "First of all, call me Danny. I have absolutely no idea why he brought me here. I was battling the ghost hunter and in the middle of the battle I got hit with one of his new toys and next thing I knew I was waking up in a small room."

"Well, it is safe to say that this 'ghost hunter's' weapon had nothing to do with you being brought here." Closing her eyes she took a deep breath holding it for a moment before slowly exhaling. "I see that you do not consider yourself a ghost or a human. If you are not one or the other than what are you?"

"I'm a halfa, you know, half ghost and half human. Like guide said, "Half alive and half dead." Danny's mouth turned down into a slight frown at the last before pulling up into a sad looking sideways grin.

A small chuckle escaped between tight lips. "Therein lays the problem that would make you of interest to Guide. Have you figured out where you are yet? Or more importantly why you are here?"

A look of complete confusion crossed Danny's features. "Well, Guide said that we were both in the ghost-zone and in the real world. He said that I was here to figure something out and that it was up to me to determine why I was here. He also told me that this place is influenced entirely by my subconscious." Danny's rapid fire responses left him almost out of breath.

"I see, well where shall I begin? You are in a dimension that crosses into both the ghost-zone, as you call it, and the world of the living. It is a place that only the most desperate of people come. However a word of caution, he was correct in that you are here to discover a truth within yourself, and if you should fail in that search," a wicked smile graced Angela's face, "our duet will become a trio."

Danny's face maintained a blank look a moment longer before his eyes widened in terror. "You mean I'll be trapped here?"

"Yes, as Guide was before me."

**A/N: I am sorry that I took so long updating. I have been very busy with work and school. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think.**


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